His research over the past 20 years has shown that
mistletoe has a strong effect on biodiversity.

"I first noticed that areas with more mistletoe
consistently support more wildlife but we're now much closer to understanding
how this happens, which mechanisms are responsible," Professor Watson said.

Professor Watson's work has inspired researchers in
Zimbabwe and Spain to take a closer look at mistletoe, as summarised is his
latest article in the prestigious journal New
Phytologist.

"This work digs deeper into the interactions of
mistletoe in the environment by looking at how mistletoes affect
ground-dwelling insects and the birds that feed on them," Professor Watson
said.

"It's significant that in these vastly different
environments the same patterns are emerging.

"From the monsoonal savannahs in Saharan Africa, to
the tall pine forests in the Mediterranean and the eucalypt woodlands of
Australia, it's now clear that mistletoe has a positive
effect of diversity and ecosystem health.

"It's also clear that this pattern in driven by
both bottom up and top down processes. From the bottom we see that mistletoe
sheds enriched litter, effectively fertilizing nutrient-deprived soils and
boosting productivity.

"But, with its nutritious leaves, fruits and
flowers full of nectar, a range of top-down processes are also evident. Areas with
mistletoe bring in more birds which, in turn, deposit seeds and nutrients and
control leaf-eating insects."

Professor Watson said this greater understanding of
mistletoe interactions is critical when it comes to restoring degraded
ecosystems.

"Now that we have an understanding of how mistletoe
affects diversity, we can use this knowledge to restore habitats, fast-tracking
the conversion of degraded land into havens for wildlife."

Professor Watson's paper 'Fleshing out facilitation
– reframing interaction networks beyond top-down versus bottom-up' has been
published in New Phytologist in 2016.